Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder

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What's the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

Carol Marino, Commack, NY

Both react with liquids and heat to produce gas bubbles that help cakes rise (muffins and pancakes too). The difference: Baking soda needs to mix with an acidic ingredient like brown sugar, chocolate, buttermilk, or citrus juice to work its magic. Baking powder is soda blended with its own built-in acid agent (cream of tartar), so it can interact with plain ingredients like milk or water and still produce the necessary bubbles.